Social Round Up: Nerves & Excitement Before the First of the Season - Nove Mesto World Cup XC 2020

 redbull.com has an article and some great videos on the basics, but here we go:
- XCC is a short track (1 km) race with 7-8 laps. The finishing order will determine the starting order for the "big race". One row includes 8 racers, and the first row is the most important.
- XCO is the real race itself, with a 3-5 km long lap, and 5-8 laps.
- Women do less laps than men, and the whole race is about one and a half hour long (XCC is 15-20 minutes only). And both races are exciting!
- You should pay special attention to...
...the start, where they sprint for the best position before getting to the narrower parts of the track.
...the (double) tech zone, where refreshments are handed out, and tech problems are repaired. Some racers use this to gain advantage on their "resting" opponents.
...the downhills, where better racers can get some advantage.
...the climbs, where the real action happens. This is where riders start their attacks, or just simply push brutally to tire the others.
Nove Mesto is probably the best XCO track out there, with rock gardens, jumps, pump tracks, roots, but you will only see its whole beauty during the XCO race, not the XCC. The crowd is also frantic, but this year we have to miss it.
Also, check out the "who to watch" feature on Red Bull, to get a basic idea of the better-known racers.
www.redbull.com/int-en/events/uci-mountain-bike-world-cup-czech-republic

 @MarcusMTB: Thanks so much! 2020 has thrown a lot of curve balls so far, but getting stoked to watch some XC might be the most unexpected!

 @N-60: in you're in for a surprise, xc racing is awesome!

 La Bresse 2018, women's XCO. One of the most exciting races ever! Watch this....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw0736lJIdk

:-D